Providing recommendations to hospitality customers

• US 8,676,663 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monscierge Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Monscierge Incorporated
• Inventors: Robinson, Marcus Lee, Lewis, Nathaniel Paul, Ready, John Spencer, Marold, Kenneth Richard, Texter, James Russell III
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US13/925,695
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/27.1, 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

Method, system, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed for providing recommendations to hospitality customers. Defining steps include establishing a connection with a customer'"'"'s mobile device, obtaining information about the location of the customer'"'"'s mobile device, determining recommended goods or services currently offered by one or more business locations, and outputting for display on the customer'"'"'s mobile device a listing of the recommended goods or services navigable by category or subcategory.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing recommendations on behalf of a hotel business entity as a concierge service to a hospitality customer having a mobile device using a recommendation management system coupled over a network to the mobile device, comprising:

storing in the recommendation management system a plurality of recommendations approved by respective hotel business entities, the plurality of recommendations being for goods or services offered by a plurality of businesses and approved by the respective hotel business entities as recommendations for customers of the respective hotel business entities;

establishing a connection with the customer'"'"'s mobile device;

obtaining, via the connection, information about the location of the customer'"'"'s mobile device;

determining a hotel business entity associated with the location of the customer'"'"'s mobile device from the plurality of hotel business entities;

determining recommended goods or services in the stored recommendations for goods or services offered by a plurality of businesses at one or more different business locations and approved by the determined hotel business entity associated with the location of the customer'"'"'s mobile device for display to customers of the determined hotel business entity as local recommendations; and

outputting for display as local recommendations on the customer'"'"'s mobile device a listing of the recommended goods or services navigable by category or subcategory.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

defining a list of recommendation categories or subcategories, each category or subcategory assigned to one or more goods or services currently offered by the plurality of businesses at the one or more business locations.

3. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

defining a set of users associated with a recommendation network that includes the hotel business entity and associated businesses.

4. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising:

adding a business to the recommendation network based on input received from a user; and

associating the added business with one or more categories or subcategories of goods or services.

5. The method recited in claim 4, the adding further comprising:

receiving input from the user providing information about the business using an interactive console;

generating a request to add the business to the recommendation network based on the input provided by using the interactive console;

routing the request to add the business to one or more authorized users of the recommendation management system; and

receiving a set of data approving or declining to approve the request to add the business from the one or more authorized users.

6. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising:

determining additional recommended goods or services offered by additional businesses in the recommendation network according to relationships between the determined hotel business entity and the additional businesses; and

outputting for display as local recommendations on the customer'"'"'s mobile device an additional listing of the additional recommended goods or services navigable by category or subcategory.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the relationships comprise partnership agreements or promotion agreements.

8. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

ranking the goods or services currently offered by the plurality of businesses based on proximity to the location of the customer'"'"'s mobile device.

9. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection from the customer'"'"'s mobile device requesting a detailed display of information about a particular recommended good or service; and

outputting for display on the customer'"'"'s mobile device a detailed view of the selected recommended good or service alongside information about the corresponding business.

10. A recommendation management system for providing recommendations on behalf of a hotel business entity as a concierge service over a network to a hospitality customer having a mobile device comprising:

a database that stores a plurality of recommendations approved by respective hotel business entities, the plurality of recommendations being for goods or services offered by a plurality of businesses and approved by the respective hotel business entities as recommendations for customers of the respective hotel business entities; and

at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via a connection, information about the location of a customer'"'"'s mobile device;

determining a hotel business entity associated with the location of the customer'"'"'s mobile device from the plurality of hotel business entities;

determining recommended goods or services in the stored recommendations for goods or services offered by a plurality of businesses at one or more different business locations and approved by the determined hotel business entity associated with the location of the customer'"'"'s mobile device for display to customers of the determined hotel business entity as local recommendations; and

outputting for display as local recommendations on the customer'"'"'s mobile device a listing of the recommended goods or services navigable by category or subcategory.

11. The recommendation management system recited in claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

defining a list of recommendation categories or subcategories, each category or subcategory assigned to one or more goods or services currently offered by the plurality of businesses at the one or more business locations.

12. The recommendation management system recited in claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

defining a set of users associated with a recommendation network that includes the hotel business entity and associated businesses.

13. The recommendation management system recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

adding a business to the recommendation network based on input received from a user; and

associating the added business with one or more categories or subcategories of goods or services.

14. The recommendation management system recited in claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving input from the user providing information about the business to be added;

generating a request to add the business to the recommendation network;

routing the request to add the business to one or more authorized users of the recommendation management system; and

receiving a set of data approving or declining to approve the request to add the business from the one or more authorized users.

15. The recommendation management system recited in claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection from the customer'"'"'s mobile device requesting a detailed display of information about a particular recommended good or service; and

outputting for display on the customer'"'"'s mobile device a detailed view of the selected recommended good or service alongside information about the corresponding business.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having one or more instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

storing in a recommendation management system a plurality of recommendations approved by respective hotel business entities, the plurality of recommendations being for goods or services offered by a plurality of businesses and approved by the respective hotel business entities as recommendations for customers of the respective hotel business entities;

establishing a connection with a customer'"'"'s mobile device;

obtaining, via the connection, information about the location of the customer'"'"'s mobile device;

determining a hotel business entity associated with the location of the customer'"'"'s mobile device from the plurality of hotel business entities;

determining recommended goods or services in the stored recommendations for goods or services offered by a plurality of businesses at one or more different business locations and approved by the determined hotel business entity associated with the location of the customer'"'"'s mobile device for display to customers of the determined hotel business entity as local recommendations; and

outputting for display as local recommendations on the customer'"'"'s mobile device a listing of the recommended goods or services navigable by category or subcategory.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in claim 16, the operations further comprising:

defining a list of recommendation categories or subcategories, each category or subcategory assigned to one or more goods or services currently offered by the plurality of businesses at the one or more business locations.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in claim 16, the operations further comprising:

defining a set of users associated with a recommendation network that includes the hotel business entity and associated businesses.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in claim 18, the operations further comprising:

adding a business to the recommendation network based on input received from a user; and

associating the added business with one or more categories or subcategories of goods or services.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in claim 19, the operations further comprising:

receiving input from the user providing information about the business using an interactive console;

requesting to add the business to the recommendation network based on the input provided by using the interactive console;

routing the request to add the business to one or more authorized users of the recommendation management system; and

receiving a set of data approving or declining to approve the request to add the business from the one or more authorized users.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in claim 16, the operations further comprising:

ranking the goods or services currently offered by the plurality of businesses based on proximity to the location of the customer'"'"'s mobile device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium recited in claim 16, the operations further comprising:

receiving a selection from the customer'"'"'s mobile device requesting a detailed display of information about a particular recommended good or service; and

outputting for display on the customer'"'"'s mobile device a detailed view of the selected recommended good or service alongside information about the corresponding business.